Christian 
 
 Congregation. 
 
 THE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 
 
 OF THE GENERAL SYNOD OF THE 
 EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH 
 IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
 21 W. SARATOGA STREET, BALTIMORE, MD 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive | 
 in 2028 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/ourvillageschool00thom 
 
“THE NEED OF OUR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS 
 IN THE VILLAGE CONGREGATIONS.” 
 
 REV. M. EDWIN THOMAS. 
 
 A VILLAGE SCHOOL 
 
 Education is vital to the development of any 
 people and the upbuilding of an intelligent 
 church. This is recognized by all of our Mis- 
 sionaries. As the little red schoolhouse stood 
 by the side of the church on the hill in days of 
 our fathers, so in lands where the Gospel light 
 is beginning to shine evangelization and educa- 
 tion stand side by side. In fact, so closely united 
 are they that they are rightly regarded as only 
 two parts of one work. Christianity and civili- 
 zation—the two go hand in hand, and it is diffi- 
 cult to find the one without the other, and each 
 acts and reacts on the other. 
 
 Every missionary realizes the need of a good. 
 school if a Christian congregation is to be active 
 and become permanent. Wherever possible,.-we. 
 have opened schools. In the-950. villages in: 
 which Christian work is being carried on there 
 are 350 schools. - ey ae 
 
 3 
 
The accompanying chart indicates how many 
 children are taking advantage of them. The 
 diagram which follows shows how very ele- 
 mentary the work is. 
 
 1915-1916 Enrollment 9266 
 
 IV uu | ! PRIMER 
 
 It also shows the great weakness of our vil- 
 lage schools as a means to congregational de- 
 velopment. The children cannot be kept in 
 school long enough to be greatly benefited by 
 the instruction given. Out of 9266 pupils, only 
 35 are in the fourth grade, or have reached the 
 place where education will be of any great per- 
 manent benefit to them. 
 
 There are several reasons for this state of 
 things: 
 
].—The abject poverty of the people who make 
 up the bulk of the Christian population. In In- 
 dia, vhere the breadwinner earns on an aver- 
 age eight cents per day, it.is not to be expected 
 that a large family can exist, much less live, on 
 such a wage. The result is that the mother and 
 children must join and assist the father in keep- 
 ing the wolf from the door. The reason for our 
 having such a large number in our primer class 
 is that these are too young to work, and sending 
 them to school relieves the parents or older 
 sisters or brothers from looking after them. 
 
 I].—Gross ignorance. 
 
 For almost endless generations the people 
 have been without a single opportunity to secure 
 an education. When they find that the Mission 
 is establishing schools, long petitions with many 
 signatures are brought, begging for one. Many 
 promises are made if the children are only given 
 an opportunity to learn. 
 
 For a year or so after the petition has been 
 heard and a school granted the children are sent 
 most faithfully. During the second year the in- 
 terest on the part of the parents grows less, 
 and when the third year rolls ’round the desire 
 for a school has practically died out. 
 
 The parents thought it would be a fine chance 
 to have educated children, but when they found 
 it took so much of their time, and that they 
 learned so slowly, they said, “What is the use? 
 They are too stupid to learn. Our fathers got 
 through this world without an education, and 
 our children can do the same.” Thus their 
 ignorance leads to indifference, from which 
 it is most difficult to arouse them. 
 
 IlJ].—Another cause for a lack of proper in- 
 terest being taken in education is our failure to 
 make it attractive and practical. To meet with 
 success the school must be so inviting that it 
 will overcome the two negative influences men- 
 tioned above. 
 
 For years we have seriously faced the situa- 
 
 3) 
 
tion, and have had to be content. with the feeling 
 that a poor school is better than none. To a 
 great extent, our partial failure is due to the 
 limited resources we have had at our command. 
 Money will not buy happiness nor satisfy the 
 longings of the human heart, but money will 
 make possible buildings and equipment which 
 will go a long way in keeping in school children 
 who have once formed the habit of going. 
 
 In connection with our Reformation Diamond 
 
 AN EXAMINATION UNDER THE TREES 
 
 Jubilee Advance we are asking for $20,000 to 
 improve our village schools. This, to a large ex- 
 tent, is needed to supply buildings. More than 
 one-third of the schools now established do not 
 have houses in which to meet. The schools 
 must be held under a tree or by the side of one 
 of the huts in which the people live. When the 
 weather is disagreeable, as is the case in the wet 
 and hot seasons, no school can be held. These 
 long vacations are enough to discourage both 
 parents and pupils. 
 
 Then appliances, too, are needed. Each pupil 
 who is too poor to purchase books and Slates 
 
 6 
 
should have them supplied at Mission expense. 
 Good prizes should be given for satisfactory 
 work and attendance. This would keep up the 
 interest and attendance. Furthermore, when- 
 ever practicable the children who are greatly 
 underfed should be supplied with a lunch. Ob- 
 jections might be raised to this method, as some 
 of the children would only come to be fed. Asa 
 Church seeking for leaders for our congrega- 
 tions we should not stumble at this as long as 
 the classwork is up to the standard. Moreover, 
 it is almost an impossible task to fill a child’s 
 head while it possesses an empty stomach. 
 
 To get these needs before the Church in a 
 practical way the following amounts are being 
 asked for the various charges or fields in our 
 Mission. If we secure this amount, a great im- 
 provement will follow, and our Christian con- 
 gregations will be helped in many wavs: 
 
 { 
 
 WV ATIUEISOINCLA showy cok ats. ws ines Reena s $1,000 
 Mar kapiram: << sc. so gece cierecs 2,000 
 INafasavavupeCtinss ss ewes 2000 
 RREDAMU ote ear eer aie) tise aves he, OOO 
 COUEU hate creremann: © Pernet caters 2,000 
 Sattenapalle.... Weiss don Gee TCG OO) 
 ML Gilatienceycs in caeeree ees ihe © acct cee ee SOU) 
 WS PAL liter oe soca oe ie och eo oe 3,000 
 Paimadey ct aa are tacks wen ere tes 3,000 
 
 $20,000 
 
 An individual Church can assume the task of 
 supplying a whole field or part of one, accord- 
 ing to its desire or ability. Am individual can 
 improve one or more schools at $60.00 each. 
 
 Among all the needs there is none greater or 
 more fundamental. 
 
A CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL